I watched my neighbor throw away a perfectly good dresser last week, and it got me thinking about my parents’ generation. I could never imagine them doing that. 

They lived through times when wasting anything felt almost criminal. Every jar was saved, every meal was planned, and buying something new meant the old version was truly beyond repair.

Fast forward to today, and only 1 in 4 Americans say they feel fully financially secure. Meanwhile, we’re living in a world of same-day delivery and planned obsolescence.

What if the secret to better financial health isn’t found in the latest budgeting app, but in the tried-and-true habits our parents and grandparents practiced in the 1970s?

Some of those old-school frugal practices weren’t just about saving money – they created a different relationship with consumption altogether.

Here are five habits from that era that could seriously improve our financial lives today.

1. Growing your own food (even in small spaces)

Remember when every backyard had at least a small vegetable patch?

I don’t. But during World War II, “Victory Gardens” produced about 40% of all vegetables consumed in the United States. 

Now, I’m not suggesting you turn your entire yard into a farm. But even a few herbs on a windowsill or tomatoes in containers can make a real difference to your monthly food bill.

I started with just basil and mint in my kitchen window last year. Nothing fancy, just two small pots. Those herbs alone saved me probably $15 a month – doesn’t sound like much, but that’s $180 annually for something that took maybe five minutes of care each week.

The beauty of growing your own food isn’t just the money saved. It’s the shift in mindset. You start appreciating where food actually comes from. You waste less because you know the effort involved.

Plus, there’s something deeply satisfying about eating a salad made with greens you grew yourself. It connects you to your food in a way that grabbing pre-packaged everything from the store simply can’t match.

2. Repairing instead of replacing

When did we decide that fixing things became more trouble than it’s worth?

My parents still have a toaster from 1978. Not because they can’t afford a new one, but because when the cord frayed, my dad simply replaced it. When the lever got sticky, he cleaned and oiled the mechanism.

Today, we’ve been conditioned to treat most items as disposable. Phone screen cracks? New phone. Jeans get a small tear? Time to shop. Blender stops working? Straight to the trash.

But here’s the thing – learning basic repair skills isn’t just about saving money on individual items. It fundamentally changes how you view your possessions.

I learned this lesson the hard way when my coffee grinder died last month. My first instinct was to order a replacement online. Instead, I spent twenty minutes on YouTube and discovered it just needed a deep clean and one loose screw tightened.

Total cost of repair? Zero dollars and about thirty minutes of my time.

Most repairs are simpler than we think, and the tools needed are usually basic ones most people already own.

3. Meal planning and cooking from scratch

How many times this week did you stand in front of your fridge at 6 PM, staring blankly, then order takeout?

In the 1970s, meal planning wasn’t a trendy hashtag – it was just how people ate. Sunday afternoons were for planning the week’s meals, making shopping lists, and often doing some prep work.

Cooking from scratch was the default, not the exception.

I’ll admit, when I first started meal planning, it felt like homework. But after a few weeks, something clicked. Not only was I spending way less on food, but I was actually enjoying cooking again instead of treating it like a daily crisis.

The financial impact is pretty immediate. When you plan meals around what’s on sale and what you already have, you stop buying random ingredients that sit unused. You buy exactly what you need, and you use what you buy.

But there’s a deeper benefit here too. Cooking from scratch means you control the ingredients. You know exactly what goes into your food. No mysterious additives, no wondering why restaurant meals leave you feeling sluggish.

The key is starting small. Pick three meals you already know how to make, plan those for the week, and build from there. Don’t try to become a gourmet chef overnight.

4. Saving a consistent percentage of every paycheck

“The self-made millionaires in my study all set a goal of saving 10 to 20% of their income during their pre-millionaire years,” notes Thomas C. Corley.

I’d bet most people don’t do this. In fact, data suggests that over 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

But saving wasn’t revolutionary advice in the 1970s – it was just what responsible adults did.

Back then, people had a different relationship with their paychecks. The money came in, a portion immediately went to savings, and you lived on what remained. Simple as that.

Somewhere along the way, we flipped this formula. Now we spend first and save whatever’s left over. Spoiler alert: there’s rarely anything left over.

I’ve mentioned this before, but when I finally switched to paying myself first, everything changed. Not just my bank account, but my entire approach to money.

The trick isn’t finding the perfect savings rate or the highest-yield account. It’s making the transfer automatic so you never have to rely on willpower or remember to do it.

Start with whatever percentage feels manageable – even 5% is better than zero. The habit matters more than the amount initially.

What’s interesting is how this changes your spending behavior. When you know you only have $X to work with each month, you naturally become more thoughtful about purchases. You start distinguishing between wants and needs without feeling deprived.

5. Buying quality items that last decades

As Warren Buffett once said, “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago”. I’d say The same logic applies to the things we buy.

In the 1970s, people saved up for quality items because they expected them to last. A good winter coat wasn’t a seasonal purchase – it was an investment you’d wear for twenty years.

Today’s fast fashion and planned obsolescence model has trained us to think differently. We buy cheap, expect it to break, and replace it regularly without questioning the cycle.

But when you actually do the math, buying quality often costs less over time.

I learned this lesson with work boots. I was buying $60 pairs that lasted maybe eight months. After going through three pairs in two years, I finally invested in a $200 pair from a company that’s been making boots the same way for more then 50 years.

Five years later, they still look good and feel comfortable. That expensive purchase saved me money and countless trips to the store.

The key is shifting your thinking from cost per item to cost per use. A $100 jacket you wear for ten years costs way less than five $30 jackets that fall apart after two seasons each.

This doesn’t mean you need to buy the most expensive version of everything. It means researching what actually lasts, reading reviews, and sometimes waiting until you can afford the version that won’t need replacing.

The bottom line

These habits aren’t just about pinching pennies or living like it’s still 1975.

They’re about creating a different relationship with money and consumption. One where you’re making intentional choices instead of reacting to whatever marketing message hits your phone next.

Start with one habit that resonates with you. Maybe it’s growing some herbs on your windowsill, or maybe it’s finally learning to sew that loose button instead of buying a new shirt.

The specific habit matters less than breaking the cycle of mindless consumption that’s keeping so many of us financially stressed.

Your future self – and your bank account – will thank you.

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